Chapter Text
It's Monday morning, and Chu Wanning almost threw himself out of his bed when he opened his eyes and saw the sun already shining oh so brightly through the window. Why on earth has his alarm not rung?! He usually woke up before the sun even shines a beam! Sitting up so fast that his ears ring and his vision blackens a bit, he wobbled his way out of the somehow clean room and into the door he knew that would lead to the bathroom- except there's more than just one surprise of his day. First was that he uncharacteristically slept through his first and second classes, and second was that he literally walked into a wall instead of the wooden door he knew that would lead to his bathroom.
Walking into a wall and banging his head in the process made his vision blacken even worse so he had no choice but to close his eyes and stand for a moment, waiting for his vision to clear up while also finally letting his whole body waken itself up. When he opened his eyes once again, he found out that his walls weren't the same plain, white painted walls but it was instead covered with dark blue wallpaper. His mind finally woke up from its panicky state whose only goal was to get to the university as fast as possible, and he couldn't help but let out the confused noise of, "Huh?"
Chu Wanning knew for sure he was not in his own room. He tried to recall for memories that perhaps may help him remember how on earth he got into someone else's house, but he really remembers that he slept in his own bed last night. Could he perhaps be kidnapped while he was asleep...?
He crossed that thought out.
It was simply impossible for someone to just kidnap Chu Wanning in his sleep. He was a light sleeper, even just a little loud cricket would stir him awake.
Seeing as how he's absolutely not going anywhere with just standing around, he decided to blindly walk around the room and try to find the bathroom or somewhere else. As he exit the room and walk through a small hallway, he noticed there were graduation photos hanging on the wall.
"...Who-" and before he could even continue his question, he instantly recognized the face and the name on the photo.
Mo Ran.
He was in... Mo Ran's apartment. Mo Ran, the same man Chu Wanning avoided like the plague. Mo Ran, the same man that...
Anyway, Why on earth was he in Mo Ran's apartment?
He found another door. Hoping it was leading to the bathroom because he needs to piss, he pushed open the black, wooden door. Luckily, lady luck was on his side as he did get to the bathroom. Okay, business first, then an existential crisis. Of course an existential crisis is not complete without washing your face with water to wake yourself first (and for the dramatic effect), and so that's what Chu Wanning did.
However, something was... Different. It's not that he's degrading himself, but he was sure that his... Thing down there... Wasn't that big. Still, he threw that on the back of his mind and blamed it on his sleepy eyes. Avoiding the mirror as he washed his hands then his face, everything feels so... Different. His hands feels more big and calloused, his skin tanned a few shades, and he's in someone else's house for God's sake!
He could check his face to see if he has any marks or blemishes, anything that can be counted as clues. So, after heavy hesitation, he lifted his dripping face to the mirror.
He's... Mo Ran?
And that's the story of how Chu Wanning almost screamed for the first time in his life.
"What the hell? What the actual hell?" Chu Wanning kept mumbling under his breathe, not daring to open the crumbled polo shirt he's wearing to check if it's his own body because his face says it all. He was absolutely sure he's wearing Mo Ran's face. No, not just his face, even his body. Did he... switch lives with Mo Ran?
He was close to passing out as his face grew paler and paler, so he chose to get out of the bathroom and to the living room so he could sit down on one of the gray couches. He could feel a headache coming, but thankfully Mo Ran doesn't seem to get a headache as easily as he did.
Why on earth has he become Mo Ran?! Is this some sort of sick dream?!
Couple of minutes passed by, and even Chu Wanning would grew tired of thinking over something that seems to have no answer available at tht moment. He can't just keep sitting and thinking, he had to do something. He searched around, thankfully found a phone charging on the television table, still he couldn't open it because it's locked and he was not close enough (honestly, he and Mo Ran are not close in any way or form the last time they met) to know Mo Ran's phone password. He's grateful that notifications were visible at the lock screen, so he searched for clues on what he should do as Mo Ran.
There were a few miscalls from Xue Meng and one miscall from Shi Mei, and a bunch with Xue Zhengyong. 16 messages from Xue Meng, and they were all just him yelling at Mo Ran for apparently ditching last minute for a planned hang out with Shi Mei, and speaking of the devil there were 3 messages from Shi Mei.
Shi Mei: A-Ran are you feeling okay?
Shi Mei: You haven't contacted anyone for the past 10 hours after you left in such a hurry at the last photoshoot. You also didn't show up for us three's plans tonight. :(
Shi Mei: I'm coming over tomorrow at 10am to check up on you real quick, okay?
And oh dear god the messages were yesterday and it was nearly 10am. Chu Wanning's eyes (technically speaking, Mo Ran's) flew around in panic, checking himself out at the mirror to see if he looks "Mo Ran" enough and doesn't look like a play pretend version. His eyes looked too cold, and too icy, but he can't help that. He just hopes everyone is thinking he's just having a bad day.
He flew to the bedroom as he searches for a cleaner shirt because dear god he can smell the strong scent of alcohol on the hoodie he's wearing. He searched the drawers and found a dark green tee with little paw prints on the heart area, which he quickly changed into (making sure his eyes are staring at the ceiling to give Mo Ran privacy.
Just when he pulled his thick, curly dark hair into a low bun (he remembers that's what Mo Ran would do. "Refreshing and still looks cool," the younger one would say) and made sure he won't be embarrassing Mo Ran, he heard the door bell ring.
Walking as calmly as Chu Wanning could (in contrast to his heart beating so fast it felt like its competing in a race), he opened the door and tried to imitate Mo Ran's sunshine smile.
"Shi Mei!" He tried to raise his pitch higher. He must look so odd right now, but who could blame him? He can't just say "Hey, I'm actually Chu Wanning," he would get sent in a mental hospital! Nor can't he act like his usual self, afraid of being questioned without knowing what to answer them.
Shi Mei raised his eyebrows in surprise as he leaned closer, "A-Ran, good morning! are you okay? You seem... sick." Shi Mei raised a palm and pressed it on Chu Wanning's forehead, and it took everything for Chu Wanning to not flinch and swat Shi Mei's hand away. There was a pause before Shi Mei took his hand away, "Your temperature seems fine, though."
"...Just a bad day." Chu Wanning muttered, then realized how gloomy he sounded, so he added, "Haha."
Shi Mei still seemed concerned, but thankfully he decided not to pry any further. "Anyway, how are you A-Ran? You seemed like you were in a hurry after yesterday's shoot. Did something happen?"
Chu Wanning almost wanted to cry out of frustration because Jesus how was he supposed to know? "No, it's okay. Just a small thing." Again, too cold, so Chu Wanning awkwardly continued, "Haha. No worries, Shi Mei."
And of course, Shi Mei's eyes didn't clear up from confusion and concern because of Chu Wanning's poor acting skills, but it seemed like he took it as a "Sorry, I need privacy," so Shi Mei nodded and smiled apologetically.
"Okay, okay. Here, we bought you lunch. The Xues are worried sick, so please update them when you're better." Shi Mei says with a smile, giving Chu Wanning a plastic bag with containers inside. Chu Wanning nodded and accepted it, finding no harm in the gesture. So with a few more little chit chats, Shi Mei bid Chu Wanning good bye and left.
The stressed professor spent the rest of his day as Mo Ran by living without stepping out of the apartment even just for a moment. Unfortunately he wasn't able to update the Xues as Shi Mei asked him to, because he literally can't. He doesn't know the phone password. The day passed by and out of sheer boredom (definitely just boredom, not concern because Chu Wanning saw there were barely any healthy meals in Mo Ran's fridge), Chu Wanning decided to start clumsily making wontons. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. He ate a bit for dinner, and he gave himself a satisfied nod.
His consciousness started to fade as night creeps in, and even though he tried to stay awake just a bit later, he blacked out on the kitchen table while he was at the middle of cleaning up the mess he made when making the wontons.
Morning came and Chu Wanning felt a familiar, thick blanket on his body.